Urgent Care :: Lost turtles OUTSIDE! New pond owner....

[Lunette008]

Ok, so I got 2 female RES 1.5years ago and they were the size of 50 cent pieces, they were very happy in their 10 gallon aquarium, well they kept growing so I bought a 30gal, they kept growing so I built a pond in my backyard, I would say it is about 100-150 gallons. That is just a guess, it is about 3ft x 6ft and has a deep end of about 3ft and a shallow end that is only a few inches.

On Saturday we put them in the pond for the very first time and they stayed in the water for 2 days. We have fenced off the pond and also gave them a 5ft x 10ft area of land within the fence for them to roam around in. One of the turtles left the pond and kind of buried herself under some grasses, she did not move from that spot for 36 hours, she would hiss and wiggle about if we touched her. Well after 36 hours I picked her up and put her near the water and she dove right in (I am wondering if I should have left her). So on Tuesday I go out to the pond and now BOTH of my turtles are gone! I searched the entire fenced area and I did not find them. If they escaped the fence I am hoping that they cannot escape my backyard...but I am nervous!

OK, SO HERE IS MY QUESTION:
If they are just off, exploring, or laying eggs, or trying to find some sweet male turtle loving, will they come back to their water source? Or if I don't find them does it mean they are probably gone forever?

I have tried searching my backyard, but in a couple places there are bushes so thick, I simply cannot really get through them (but a small turtle could..)

I will search again today....


And here are the answers to the questions I was told to copy-paste:
How big is your turtle? 6 inches
How long have you had it? 1.5 years

What is the water temperature? 81 F
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? the sun
How much water is in there? 100-150 gallon pond
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 87 F
Is there a basking light? the Sun
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? several rocks, some dirt, and a floating fake log
Is there a UVB light? the sun

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets, fancy lettuce, carrots, pea pods, blood worms, brine shrimp, feeder gold fish, + Anacharis
When was the last time your turtle ate? Monday

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 100+ gallons
Is the tank near a window? pond is outside
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes, and I read about people who lost their turtles inside...I also read http://www.redearslider.com/lost_turtle.html

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? the aforementioned hiding in the grasses for 36 hours on Monday

[untsmurf]

Have you tried emptying out the pond completely and searching the bottom? Some turtles like to burrow at the bottom of the pond.

[mat012]

I read austin turtle page and there have been a couple of people recently post that their turtles have been stolen from outdoor ponds. It wouldnt have crossed my mind until I read that. But if you just cant find find them, and you are confident that the enclosure is secure that might be what happened. One guy had his turts fenced in and the folks cut the fencing to get to the turtles.

[Raphulk]

mat012, what kind of turtles were they?
for some reason, i cannot picture someone stealing an ordinary red ear slider.
not to take away the fantastic-ness that is RES, but could the turtles have been some like exotic rare ones?

[untsmurf]

If the enclosure isn't completely secure, they might've been snatched by another animal.

[LeslieMW]

was there any sign of digging? they might have dug under the fence. once you've completely checked your pond to make sure their not there, i'd leave the fence open so they might return. maybe leave a plate of their favorite treats out and they might come to eat it.

keep looking! good luck!

[LeslieMW]

oh and whenever i bring my turtles outside, one of them will always bury themselves under the grass and will not move. and that turtle is a male too..(atleast i'm pretty sure, haha)

so i don't think the burying is much to worry about.

[Lunette008]

Well I have some good news! I turned my entire backyard upside down and I did find one of my missing turtles! She did manage to escape the fenced area and had buried herself in amongst some plants somewhere else in my backyard!

So I have one turtle found
and one still missing

My real question is, IF the other turtle has buried herself somewhere in my yard, do you think she will get bored of that on her own and eventually wander back into the pond?

[LeslieMW]

oh yay! i'm glad you found one! well if one was still in your backyard i'm sure the other one is too. i wouldn't count on it finding it's way back to the pond, i'd just keep looking in bushes and plants. good luck!

and make sure to put some fencing below ground around your turtle pond!

[mat012]

On the stolen turtle... The fella mentioned that they were $15 turtles - so I assumed they were res. I was very surprised too. I wouldnt think it would be worth the hassle. But there are people who steal for the thrill rather than the value of the object. Or maybe just those "rowdy kids".

Glad you found one of your little ones - lets us know when the other turns up.

[Lunette008]

I don't think he was stolen, my pond is in my backyard and not at all visible from the street, also if someone had broken into my backyard, I bet there are more expensive things to steal....

It seems weird that they would not return to their water source, I mean they will die without water, so it just seems funny. I bet the wild turtles come and go from their water, maybe captive ones aren't as smart?

[ChocoTurtle]

I hope you find your other turtle

[TheComputerGremlin]

Well, the turtle could potentially live a month without water, not in the best health, but it's always possible. And the captive turtles aren't very far off from their wild relatives (unlike cats and dogs). It's always possible that your turtle will find their way back, but just keep on searching! Better safe than sorry!

[marisa]

You're turtle won't return out of boredom; if the turtle does come back, it will be because s/he's looking for water.

They can climb, they can dig. You need to create an enclosure that's both escape-proof and predator-proof.

[ScrewZoo]

good luck, i hope they come back. sounds like u truely loved them to make them a pond at such a young age.